Sheet-collating device for typewriters



May 22, 1934.

J. A. B. SMITH SHEET COLLATING DEVICE FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed April 1, 1 932 2 Sheets-Shet 1 May 22, 1934. J. A. B. SMITH SHEET COLLATING DEVICE FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed April 1, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Wl W \N W 00 MICE-h 210- N142 Patented May 22, 1934 SHEET -COLLATING DEVICE FOR TYPE- WRITERS JesseA. B.,Smith, Stamford, Conn., assignor to Underwood Elliott Fisher Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application April 1, 1932, Serial No. 602,406

This invention relates to sheet-collating devices for use with typewriters.

The invention presents an eflicient and easily handled sheet-holding clip, and a sheet-collating tablein which the clip may be quickly set by a sweep of the operators hand, toafford, when open, together with the table, a flat unobstructed surface on which sheets may be readily collated. The sheet-supporting member of the clip forms a leaf which is flush with the table and is removable therefrom. To theleaf is hinged a tongue, which is removable therewith and is swung open preparatory to collating the sheets. The tongue is constructed to close on the sheets for gripping them Without disturbing their collated arrangement. The 'clip and the collated sheets may be quickly withdrawn as a unit from said table, and presented to the typewriter-platen, which may have front-insertion devices.

The leaf and tongue are constructed of two substantially flat plates of light material, and hinged together to resemble tongs, and so, that they may be opened out flat. The table is constructed with a depression to receive the collating leaf flush with the surface of the table, the leaf and edge of the depression being formed so that said leaf fits .closely enough therein for its proper location relatively to said table and to line-gaging indexes thereon. The leaf is broad,

Claims.

within the depression.

The edge of the table has projections whereby the edges of the leaf-receiving depression project beyond one end of the depression, and are broadly flared beyond said end, the broad flare co-operating with a broadened end portion of the received leaf to serve as a guide for enabling quick introduction of the leaf into the depression, by a sweep of the operators hand.

An expanded taper-formation of the edges of the leaf, at its other end, fits a correspondingly formed recess in the collating table, the taper serving to co-operate with the hook-like end of the leaf to confine the latter laterally of the table. The gradually diverging taper or flare also facilitates the guiding of the leaf into the depression, inasmuch as there is no abrupt jog formed in the edges'of. said leaf and depression to impede quick insertion of said leaf. The expanded portion of the leaf affords ample grasping surface for the operators hand.

A correspondingly broad indentation in the underlying margin of the collating table is also provided, said indentation exposing the bottom of i 53 the leaf to clear the operators hand, as, grasping as compared with its length, and lies securely the leaf, he quickly sweeps it into place or With- 2 draws it from the table.

Extending along one side of the table is a side gage, formed by ridges projecting in opposite directions from the opposite edges of the depression inwhich the leaf is set. Said side gage serves to align the edges of the work-sheets. The ends of the gaging ridges adjoining the edges of the depression may be formed to constitute an upward and outward broad flare for said edges of the depression, for further facilitating the L sweeping introduction of the leaf into said depression.

One of the leaves of the clip, preferably the tongue, as the clip lies closed on the table, may

have suitable projections, whereby the clip, to-

Figure 2 is a perspective view, similar to Figure 1,'showingthe clip in place on the table and opened out fiat, and also showing how there is afforded a fiat unobstructed collatingsurface. Figure 3 is a top plan view of the tongs and collating table, showing a set of collated sheets, interleaved with carbons, in place on the table and the clip closed thereon,'ready for presentation to the typewriter.

Figure 4 is a perspective view, illustrating the clip and sheets presented to the typewriter.

Figure5 is a side elevation, showing, like Figure 4, how the; clip and collated sheets are presented to the typewriter and gaged relatively to the printing-line, Figure 5 showing details of releasable feed-roll mechanism.

Figure 6 shows the collated sheets in the typewriter, ready to be typed upon, the clip and gaging means having been withdrawn.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the collating table 10 has a main bed 10 preferably made of sheet metal and having its edges turned down, as at 11, to secure stiffness. To form a depression 26 within which a clip 13 may lie for gaging the location thereof relatively to the table, there are secured to the top of said bed 10*, as by rivets into the depression 26.

14, two plates 15 and 16, broadly spaced apart as seen in Figures 1 and 2, so that their opposite edges 17, 18 form the sides of the depression 26 within which the clip 13 is set. Suitable feet 19 of cushioning material extend downwardly from the bottom of the bed 10 and are secured thereto, as by screws 20, which maybe threaded into the bed 10 and the plates 15, 16. The clip 13 is formed of two leaves or plates of light material, preferably sheet-aluminum, the bottom leaf be. ing numbered 21, and the other leaf or tongue being called 22. The leaf 21 and tongue 22 are joined by a hinge 23, preferably at the left side,

as seen.

The right end of the leaf 21 may be turned down to form a hook 24, which, when the clip is in position on the table 10, abuts an edge at the right side of the depression 26. The abut- =ment of said hook 24 and edge 25 retains the leaf 21 against displacement to the left. For retaining the same against displacement to the right, the edge 18 of the table-plate 16 may be tapered, as indicated at18 Figures 1 and 2, the leaf 21 having a similar tapered formation coinciding with' and abutting said edge 18 as best seen in Figure 2. The leaf 21 thus flares outwardly to the left, and this outward flare permits making the hinge 23 of sufficient length to minimize sliding of the plates 21, 22, relatively to one another. The diverging taper of one end of the clip also affords a broad base for said clip as it lies on the collating table.

The broadened end of the clip also affords ample grasping surface. To clear the operators hand, there is provided at the left end of the depression 26 abroad indentation 2'7, best seen in Figure 1, the sides 28-of said indentation overlapping the' edges 1'7, 18 of the plates 15, 16 to form ledges on which the broadened end may rest, as seen in Figure 2.

At the left side edge of the table there are secured, as by rivets 29, two strips or bars 30, 31 placed in line, as seen in-Figures1 and 2, to form ridges serving asa side gage for the sheets that are to be collated. The bar 31 extends from the edge 18 to the rear end of the table and the bar 30 extends from the edge 1'7 to the front of the table. The ends of the bars 30, 31 adjoining said edges 17, 18 are rounded as at 3 3 to form a flared opening which guides the tongs as they are swept To further guide said leaf as it is swept into the depression 26, the plates 15, 16 are formed with rounded extensions '34 forming-a wide laterally-flared opening in which the ends of the hook 24 of the leaf 21 are guided. I 1

A suitable indexing device for collating the lines of the various sheets maybe provided, as, for example, a pair of lines inscribed on the top of the plate 15 and extending around the strip 30, as indicated inFigure 1. Said indexing lines 35 may have the designations old line and new line.

studs 40 projecting inwardly from end members 41 of the frame in which the platen 36 is journaled, said frame being formed by said end members 41 and a rear paper-table 42, which, as best seen in Figure 5, slopes downwardly and forwardly from behind the platen to sweep under the platen and around front pressure rolls 43 which are mounted upon levers or rockers 44 movable to withdraw the pressure rolls 43 from the platen and, conversely, to swing said rolls toward the platen for gripping inserted work-sheets.

For actuating the rockers 44, there is a crossrod 45 having flattened portions 46 adjoining arms 47 of the pressure-roll rockers 44.

With the cross-shaft 45 rotated to the position seen in Figure 5, the edges of the flattened portion 46 will have displaced the rocker-arms 4'7 and consequently the pressure rolls 43 will have been withdrawn from the platen. If the crossshaft 45 is rocked counterclockwise from the position, seen in Figure'5, the rockers actuated by springs, not shown, will be swung, so that the pressure rolls 43 move against the platen or worksheets that may be in place around said platen,

the movement of the rockers 44 being effected as the edges of the'fiattened portions 46 of the crossshaft 45 recede, in said counterclockwise rotation-from thearms 4'7. For rocking the pressure-roll' cross-shaft 45, there is provided a lever 48 pivoted on the right-end member 41 of the platen-frame, as indicated in Figure 5. Said lever has a forwardly-extending arm carrying at its ends a finger-piece 49 and a rearwardly-extending arm 50, said latter arm being connected to an arm 51 at the end of the cross-shaft 45 by a link 52. 1 r

The blade 3'7 swinging with the arms 39 is mov able downwardly from the position seen in Figure 6, in which the blade 37clears the type-bars 53 to, the position .seen in Figures 4 and 5, in which said blade 3'7 and the front of the platen 36 form a wide flaring throat for the front insertion of work-sheets. The blade 3'7 is normallyin its upper position, seen in Figure 6, and is held there by springs 54 which urge the arms 39 upwardly against stops 55 projecting inwardly from the platen-frame endrnembers41. The downward movement of the blade 3'7 is limited by the abutment of ends 56 of said blade with a forwardly-extending projection 57 of fixed earns 58 that serve to keep the lower edge of the blade 3'7 close to the platen. 'As said blade 3'7 moves up and down its ends 56 are urged against the fixed thereon, as aforesaid.

It will be seen from Figure 5 that with the blade 3'7 in its lower position and the pressure rolls 43 withdrawn from the platen by depression of the finger-piece 49, there is formed an unobstructed path or chute around the platen for the front insertion of the clipped work-sheets. With theposition of the parts associated with the platen, as seen in Figure 5, the collated work-sheets 60, 61 and 62 and interleaved carbons 69 within the clip 13 may by' means of said clip'be now removed from the table 10 and presented to the platen, the work-sheets gripped by the clip being lowered until the clip strikes the curled top ofthe blade 3'7. By thus lowering the sheets in the front-insertion path described, their lower edges will of themselves curl around the platen, and if the sheets are long enough, the bottoms of the sheets will finally rest against the rear portion ofthe paper-table 42. When the sheets and clip are thus positioned, the finger-piece 49 is given an upward flip, thereby causing the pressure rolls 43 to grip the sheets against the platen and then, when a sweep of the hand that has been grasping the clip, the latter is'withdrawn, the blade 37 moves upwardly and the collated sheets are ready to be typed upon.

For abuttingwith the curled top of theblade 37, the tongue or top'leaf 22 may have outwardlybent projections 64, seen in Figures 4 and 5, which may be momentarily pressed againstsaid curled top of the blade 37. For positioning the sheets sidewise, the hinged end of the clip may abut a stop 66 on the cross-rod 38 that supports the blade 37.

The right end of the tongue 22 of the clip may be bent outwardly to form a flare 67, best seen in Figure 4, oneof the projections 64 extending'from said flare.

It will be understood that the gaging lines 35 inscribed on the table 10' are so'spa'ced from the edge 17 of the depression 26 that when the clip 13 abuts the curled top of the blade 37,'the new printing-line for the sheets (ii), 61, 62 will beat the printing-line of the platen.

Certain features of typewriterconstruction herein shown are the invention of William F. Helmond, and no claim is made herein to any feature that is disclosed in Helmond application No. 570,845 filed October 24, 1931. 7

Variations may be resorted towithin the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. A collating table having a sheet-squaring gage at the side of the table, and a depression in the table-surface for receiving an elongate and broad collating leaf flush with said surface, the elongate edges of said leaf being tapered relatively to one another, said depression extending transversely of said table and gage and having its edges tapered to coincide with the tapered edges of said leaf to locate said leaf lengthwise of said depression. t 2. A collating table having, a sheet-squaring gage at the side of the table, and a depression in thetable-surface for receiving an elongate and broad collating leaf flush with said surface, the elongate'edges of said leaf. being tapered relatively to one another, said depression extending transversely of said table and gage and having its edges tapered to coincide with the tapered edges of said leaf to locate said leaf lengthwise of said depression, said gage formed by ridges extending in opposite directions from the edges of said depression, the ends of said ridges adjacent said edges being shaped to form an upwardly and outwardly flared guide for facilitating the intro- 'duction of said leaf into said depression.

3. A collating table having a. sheet-squaring gage at the side of the table, and a depression in the table-surface for receiving an elongate and broad collating leaf flush with said's'urface, the elongate edges of said leaf being tapered relatively to one another, said depression extending transversely of said table and gage and having its edges tapered to coincide with the tapered edges of said leaf to locate said leaf lengthwise of said depression, said gage formed by ridges extending wardly flared guide for facilitating the introduction of said leaf into said depression, the table extending beyond the end or" the depression that is opposite the gage to form prclongations of said edges flaring laterally and outwardly from the depression'as guides to further facilitate said introduction of said leaf.

' 4. In a collating device, a sheet-transferring clip formed of two elongate leaves hinged together at one end thereof, one leaf having its elongate edge straight, the opposite edge extending parallel to said straight edge for a substantial distance, and then flaring from said straight edge to broaden the hinged end and to afford an abutting edge for locating the clip lengthwise on v a collating table.

5. In a collating device, a sheet-transferring clip formed of two elongate leaves hinged together at one end thereof, one leaf having one elongate edge straight, the opposite edge extending parallel to said straight edge for a substantial distance, and then flaring from said straight edge to broaden the hinged end and to afford an abutting edge for locating the clip lengthwise on a collating table, the end of said leaf, opposite the hinged end, having a bend made transversely of the leaf to form a hook engageable with a corresponding formation in said collating table to co-operate with said tapered edge to confine the clip lengthwise on said table.

6. In a collating device, a sheet-transferring clip formed of two elongate leaves hinged together at one-end thereof, one loaf having one elongate edge straight, the opposite edge extending parallel to said straight edge for a substantial distance, and then flaring from said straight edge to broaden the hinged end and to afford abutting edge for locating the clip lengthwise on.

a collating table, the end of said leaf, opposite the hinged end, having a bend made transversely of the leaf to form. a hook engageable with a correspending formation in said collating table to cooperate with said tapered edge to confine the clip lengthwise on said table, one of said leaves having projections for gaging and truing the presentation of said clip relativelyto the printing-line J of a typewriter. v

'7. A sheet-collating device including a table having a recessed surface, and a sheet-transferring clip formed by a pair of hinged substantially fiat leaves which may be opened out fiat, one of said leaves having a straight edge extending transversely of its hinge-axis and an opposite edge extending for a substantial distance parallel to said straight edge and flaring out to broaden said leaf at the hinged end, the de- 5 leaves which may be opened out fiat, one of said leaves having a straight edge extending transversely of its hinge-axis and an opposite edge extending for a substantial distance parallel to said straight edge and flaring out to broaden said leaf at the hinged end, the depression formed by said recessed surface extending entirely across said table and having its edges formed to coincide with said edges of said leaf, said depression being of a depth to receive said leaf so that its upper side is flush with said surface, and ridges on said surface at one end of said depression and extending transversely of the latter to form a side gage for the sheets to be collated.

9. A sheet-collating device including a table having a recessed surface, a sheet-transferring clip formed by a pair of hinged substantially flat leaves which may be opened out flat, one of said leaves having a straight edge extending transversely of its hinge-axis and an opposite edge extendings for a substantial distance parallel to said straight edge and flaring out to broaden said leaf at the hinged end, the depression formed by said recessed surface extending entirely across said table and having its edges formed to coincide with said edges of said leaf, said depression being of a depth to receive said leaf so that its upper side is flush with said surface, and ridges on said surface at one end of saiddepression and extending transversely of the latter to form a side gage for the sheets to be collated, said ridges extending from the edges of said depression in opposite directions and having their ends flared outwardly and upwardly from said edges to facilitate introduction of said clip into said depression.

10. A sheet-collating device including a table having a recessed surface, a sheet-transferring clip formed by a pair of hinged substantially flat leaves which may be opened out flat, one of said leaves having a straight edge extending transversely of its hinge-axis and an opposite edge extending for a substantial distance parallel to said straight edge and flaring out to broaden said leaf at the hinged end, the depression formed by said recessed surface extending entirely across said table and having its edges formed to coin,- cide with said edges of said leaf, said depression being of a depth to receive said leaf so that its upper side is flush with said surface, and ridges on said surface at one end of said depression and extending transversely of the latter to form a side gage for the sheets to be collated, said ridges extending from the edges of said depression in opposite directions and their ends flared outwardly and upwardly from said edges to facilitate introduction of said clip into said depression, said table-surface being extended beyond the other end of said depression so as to form a flared extension of the depression-edges beyond said other end to further facilitate said introduction of the clip, said clip having a hook-shaped portion bent from the leaf that rests in said depression for guiding the clip by means of said latter flared edges.

11. A sheet-collating device including a collating table, and a sheet-transferring clip formed of a pair of substantially flat plates hinged together at one end to open out flat and to close upon the sheets, said table having a recess to receive one of said plates so that the top of said one plate is flush with the top of said table, said recess and the plate received therein being formed to confine the clip against lateral movement relative to said table.

12. A sheet-collating device including a collating table, and a sheet-transferring clip formed of a pair of substantially flat plates hinged together at one end to open out flat and to close upon the sheets, said table having a recess to receive one of said plates so that the top of said one plate is flush with the top of said table,

said recess and the plate received therein being formed to confine the clip against lateral movement relative to said table, said table having index-devices for gaging the relative positions of the sheets collated thereon.

13. A sheet-collating device including a collating table, and a sheet-transferring clip formed of a pair of substantially flat plates hinged together at one end to open out flat and to close upon the sheets, said table having a recess to receive one of said plates so that the top of said one plate is flush with the top of said table, said recess and the plate received therein being formed to confine the clip against lateral movementrelative to said table, said table having ridges extending in opposite directions transversely of and from the edges of said recess for gaging sheets, said table also having a pair of lines inscribed thereon, perpendicular to said gaging ridges, said lines corresponding to the old and new writing lines of the sheets to be collated, said lines being prolonged around the adjacent gaging ridge.

14. A collating table for use with an elongate collating leaf of the character described, said table including a bed, and members spaced on said bed to form a gage for positioning said leaf on said bed, said leaf having one elongate edge tapered relatively to the opposite edge, said members being arranged to abut said edges for confinement of said leaf against movement transversely of said edges and so that the taper of said edges locates said leaf lengthwise.

15. A collating table having a bed, and plates overlying said bed, the tops of said plates forming the collating surface, said plates being spaced apart so that their opposite edges and the portion of the bed therebetween form a depression in said surface, the opposite edges being inclined relatively to one another so that a correspondingly formed collating leaf received in said depression is located lengthwise of said edges and confined transversely of said edges.

16. A collating table having a rectangular bed with two opposite side edges, and plates overlying said bed, the tops of said plates forming the collating surface, said plates being spaced apart so that their opposite edges and the portion of the bed therebetween form a depression in said surface extending from one to the other of said edges of the bed, one of said plate-edges being straight,

the other plate-edge being parallel to said straight edge for a substantial distance from one of said bed-edges and then flaring outwardly until it meets the other bed-edge, said plates having extensions beyond said one bed-edge, said extensions forming a lateral flare of the depressionedges formed by said plates.

17. A collating table having a rectangular bed with two opposite side edges, and plates overlying said bed, the tops of said plates forming the collating surface, said plates being spaced apart so that their opposite edges and the portion of the bed therebetween form a depression in said surface extending from one to the other of said edges of the bed, one of said plate-edges being straight, the other plate-edge being parallel to said straight edge for a substantial distance from one of said bed-edges and then flaring outwardly until it meets the other bed-edge, said plates having extensions beyond said one bed-edge, said extensions forming a lateral flare of the depressionedges formed by said plates, said plates having ridges formed thereon on the side opposite said extensions, said ridges extending in opposite dision in the table-surface extending from said edge, said depression for receiving a collating leaf of the character described, and having an indentation of said edge entering said depression for clearing an operators hand, as he inserts or removes said leaf into or from said depression. JESSE A. B. SMITH. 

